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Self-employed workers
What this indicator measures
The share of workers who work for themselves or run their own business, rather than being employees.
How to read this?
High in many developing countries, where informal work is widespread.
Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest
In brief
The "Self-employed workers" ranking covers 184 countries and territories. Lowest value: Qatar (0.8 %). Highest value: Chad (91.6 %). Median: 31.8 % (data: 2021–2025). The top 10% of countries exceed 78 %, while the bottom 10% stay below 10.3 %. By continent, the median is highest in Africa (68.6 %) and lowest in Europe (13.9 %).
Median by continent
- Africa 68.6 % (51)
- South America 35.8 % (12)
- Asia 34.9 % (48)
- Oceania 34.1 % (11)
- North America 26.7 % (21)
- Europe 13.9 % (39)
Why this indicator matters
This indicator shows what share of working people work for themselves or as bosses, rather than as employees. It helps compare the place of entrepreneurship, crafts, family farming and informal work across countries.
What makes this indicator vary
The share is often high where farming, small trade and informal work dominate, for lack of enough salaried jobs. It falls as industry and services develop and companies hire more employees. Tax and social rules also play a part.
Reading precautions
A high rate can signal initiative as much as insecurity: working for yourself is not always a choice. The measure follows the definitions of work of the International Labour Organization as used by the World Bank.
Full ranking
ranked from highest to lowest
| Rank | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1er | 🇹🇩 Chad | 91.6 % | 2025 |
| 2e | 🇳🇪 Niger | 89.5 % | 2025 |
| 3e | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 88.8 % | 2025 |
| 4e | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 88.3 % | 2025 |
| 5e | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 86.2 % | 2025 |
| 6e | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 85.4 % | 2025 |
| 7e | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 85.3 % | 2025 |
| 8e | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 85.3 % | 2025 |
| 9e | 🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa | 85.1 % | 2025 |
| 10e | 🇧🇮 Burundi | 84.9 % | 2025 |
| 11e | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 84.3 % | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 83.4 % | 2025 |
| 13e | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 82.6 % | 2025 |
| 14e | 🇬🇳 Guinea | 81.9 % | 2025 |
| 15e | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 80.5 % | 2025 |
| 16e | 🇧🇯 Benin | 79.8 % | 2025 |
| 17e | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 78.7 % | 2025 |
| 18e | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 78.6 % | 2025 |
| 19e | 🇱🇷 Liberia | 78.3 % | 2025 |
| 20e | 🇱🇦 Laos | 77.1 % | 2025 |
| 21e | 🇭🇹 Haiti | 76.8 % | 2025 |
| 22e | 🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville | 76.8 % | 2025 |
| 23e | 🇹🇬 Togo | 76.6 % | 2025 |
| 24e | 🇲🇱 Mali | 76.4 % | 2025 |
| 25e | 🇦🇴 Angola | 75.9 % | 2025 |
| 26e | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 75.5 % | 2025 |
| 27e | 🇮🇳 India | 74.9 % | 2025 |
| 28e | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 74.9 % | 2025 |
| 29e | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 71.7 % | 2025 |
| 30e | 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire | 71 % | 2025 |
| 31e | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 70.8 % | 2025 |
| 32e | 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 69.9 % | 2025 |
| 33e | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 69.5 % | 2025 |
| 34e | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 69.3 % | 2025 |
| 35e | 🇬🇲 Gambia | 68.6 % | 2025 |
| 36e | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 67.5 % | 2025 |
| 37e | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 67 % | 2025 |
| 38e | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 66.3 % | 2025 |
| 39e | 🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma) | 65.5 % | 2025 |
| 40e | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 64.8 % | 2025 |
| 41e | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 64.3 % | 2025 |
| 42e | 🇰🇵 North Korea | 62.1 % | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 61.3 % | 2025 |
| 44e | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 61 % | 2025 |
| 45e | 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 60.6 % | 2025 |
| 46e | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 58.8 % | 2025 |
| 47e | 🇰🇲 Comoros | 57.9 % | 2025 |
| 48e | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 57.4 % | 2025 |
| 49e | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 57 % | 2025 |
| 50e | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 55.5 % | 2025 |
| 51e | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 53.3 % | 2025 |
| 52e | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 53.3 % | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇾🇪 Yemen | 52.6 % | 2025 |
| 54e | 🇪🇷 Eritrea | 52.4 % | 2025 |
| 55e | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 52.3 % | 2025 |
| 56e | 🇸🇴 Somalia | 52.2 % | 2025 |
| 57e | 🇵🇪 Peru | 51.3 % | 2025 |
| 58e | 🇩🇯 Djibouti | 51.1 % | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 50.7 % | 2025 |
| 60e | 🇦🇱 Albania | 50.3 % | 2025 |
| 61e | 🇸🇩 Sudan | 46.5 % | 2022 |
| 62e | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 46.1 % | 2025 |
| 63e | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 45.6 % | 2025 |
| 64e | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 45.4 % | 2025 |
| 65e | 🇼🇸 Samoa | 44.5 % | 2025 |
| 66e | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 44.3 % | 2025 |
| 67e | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 44.1 % | 2025 |
| 68e | 🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe | 44 % | 2025 |
| 69e | 🇮🇷 Iran | 42.9 % | 2025 |
| 70e | 🇸🇾 Syria | 42.4 % | 2025 |
| 71e | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 42.1 % | 2025 |
| 72e | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 42.1 % | 2025 |
| 73e | 🇹🇴 Tonga | 41.8 % | 2025 |
| 74e | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 41.3 % | 2025 |
| 75e | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 41.2 % | 2025 |
| 76e | 🇵🇦 Panama | 40.6 % | 2025 |
| 77e | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 40.4 % | 2025 |
| 78e | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 40.4 % | 2025 |
| 79e | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 40.1 % | 2025 |
| 80e | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 39.1 % | 2025 |
| 81e | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 38.5 % | 2025 |
| 82e | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 38.5 % | 2025 |
| 83e | 🇨🇳 China | 37.7 % | 2025 |
| 84e | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 36.5 % | 2025 |
| 85e | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 36.1 % | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 35.7 % | 2025 |
| 87e | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 35.7 % | 2025 |
| 88e | 🇧🇿 Belize | 35.2 % | 2025 |
| 89e | 🇫🇯 Fiji | 34.1 % | 2025 |
| 90e | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 33.7 % | 2025 |
| 91e | 🇬🇦 Gabon | 32.4 % | 2025 |
| 92e | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 32 % | 2025 |
| 93e | 🇮🇶 Iraq | 31.7 % | 2025 |
| 94e | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 31.3 % | 2025 |
| 95e | 🇬🇾 Guyana | 31.1 % | 2025 |
| 96e | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 30.8 % | 2025 |
| 97e | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 30.5 % | 2025 |
| 98e | 🇬🇷 Greece | 30.5 % | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 30.3 % | 2025 |
| 100e | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 30.2 % | 2025 |
| 101e | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 30.2 % | 2025 |
| 102e | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 28.5 % | 2025 |
| 103e | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 28.4 % | 2023 |
| 104e | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 28.1 % | 2025 |
| 105e | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 28 % | 2025 |
| 106e | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 27.5 % | 2025 |
| 107e | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 27 % | 2025 |
| 108e | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 27 % | 2025 |
| 109e | 🇱🇨 St. Lucia | 26.7 % | 2025 |
| 110e | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 26.6 % | 2025 |
| 111e | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 26.1 % | 2025 |
| 112e | 🇱🇾 Libya | 25.9 % | 2025 |
| 113e | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | 25.7 % | 2025 |
| 114e | 🇻🇨 St. Vincent & Grenadines | 25.7 % | 2025 |
| 115e | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 25.6 % | 2025 |
| 116e | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 25.4 % | 2025 |
| 117e | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 24.9 % | 2025 |
| 118e | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 24.9 % | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇨🇱 Chile | 23.9 % | 2025 |
| 120e | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 22.7 % | 2025 |
| 121e | 🇸🇷 Suriname | 22.5 % | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | 22.1 % | 2025 |
| 123e | 🇮🇹 Italy | 21.1 % | 2025 |
| 124e | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 21 % | 2021 |
| 125e | 🇲🇻 Maldives | 20 % | 2025 |
| 126e | 🇧🇧 Barbados | 19.5 % | 2025 |
| 127e | 🇵🇱 Poland | 18.9 % | 2025 |
| 128e | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 18.4 % | 2025 |
| 129e | 🇵🇫 French Polynesia | 18.2 % | 2025 |
| 130e | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 17.8 % | 2025 |
| 131e | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 17.4 % | 2025 |
| 132e | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 17.3 % | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇳🇨 New Caledonia | 17.1 % | 2025 |
| 134e | 🇧🇸 Bahamas | 17.1 % | 2025 |
| 135e | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 16.9 % | 2025 |
| 136e | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 16.8 % | 2025 |
| 137e | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 16.6 % | 2025 |
| 138e | 🇦🇺 Australia | 16.1 % | 2025 |
| 139e | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 15.7 % | 2025 |
| 140e | 🇬🇺 Guam | 15.5 % | 2025 |
| 141e | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 14.9 % | 2025 |
| 142e | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 14.6 % | 2025 |
| 143e | 🇪🇸 Spain | 14.5 % | 2025 |
| 144e | 🇷🇴 Romania | 14.5 % | 2025 |
| 145e | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 14.4 % | 2025 |
| 146e | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 14 % | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇲🇹 Malta | 13.9 % | 2025 |
| 148e | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 13.7 % | 2025 |
| 149e | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 13.4 % | 2025 |
| 150e | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 13.3 % | 2025 |
| 151e | 🇫🇷 France | 13.3 % | 2025 |
| 152e | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 13.1 % | 2025 |
| 153e | 🇨🇦 Canada | 12.9 % | 2025 |
| 154e | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 12.7 % | 2025 |
| 155e | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 12.7 % | 2025 |
| 156e | 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 12.6 % | 2025 |
| 157e | 🇫🇮 Finland | 12.5 % | 2025 |
| 158e | 🇦🇹 Austria | 12.2 % | 2025 |
| 159e | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 12.1 % | 2025 |
| 160e | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 11.8 % | 2025 |
| 161e | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 11.6 % | 2025 |
| 162e | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 11.5 % | 2025 |
| 163e | 🇮🇱 Israel | 11.3 % | 2025 |
| 164e | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 11.2 % | 2025 |
| 165e | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 10.3 % | 2025 |
| 166e | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 10.2 % | 2025 |
| 167e | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 10.2 % | 2025 |
| 168e | 🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands | 9.1 % | 2025 |
| 169e | 🇯🇵 Japan | 9.1 % | 2025 |
| 170e | 🇩🇪 Germany | 8.1 % | 2025 |
| 171e | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 7.9 % | 2025 |
| 172e | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | 7.7 % | 2025 |
| 173e | 🇧🇳 Brunei | 7.3 % | 2025 |
| 174e | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 6.8 % | 2025 |
| 175e | 🇲🇴 Macao SAR China | 6.8 % | 2025 |
| 176e | 🇷🇺 Russia | 6.3 % | 2025 |
| 177e | 🇺🇸 United States | 6.1 % | 2025 |
| 178e | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 5.5 % | 2025 |
| 179e | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 5.1 % | 2025 |
| 180e | 🇴🇲 Oman | 5 % | 2025 |
| 181e | 🇳🇴 Norway | 4.9 % | 2025 |
| 182e | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 3.2 % | 2025 |
| 183e | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 2.4 % | 2025 |
| 184e | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 0.8 % | 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest value for "Self-employed workers"?
The highest value is in Chad, at 91.6 % (2025).
Which country has the lowest value for "Self-employed workers"?
The lowest value is in Qatar, at 0.8 % (2025).
What is the world median value of "Self-employed workers"?
The world median is 31.8 %, calculated across 184 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.
What is the value of "Self-employed workers" for France?
France scores 13.3 % (2025), ranking 151 out of 184 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).
Where does the "Self-employed workers" data come from?
It comes from Banque mondiale – Indicateurs du développement dans le monde (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS). Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.
Who is counted as self-employed?
Anyone who works for themselves or runs their own business, with or without employees: craftspeople, shopkeepers, farmers, independent professionals. Employees of a company or of the state are not included.
Is a high share of self-employed workers a good sign?
It depends on the context. It can reflect a dynamic entrepreneurial spirit, but also a lack of stable salaried jobs. The indicator alone does not settle the question.
Source and update
Source : Banque mondiale – Indicateurs du développement dans le monde (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS). Site last updated: November 8, 2026.
Indicators in the same category : Employment
- UnemploymentThe share of people who want to work but have no job, among everyone who works or is looking for work.
- Youth unemployment (ages 15-24)The share of 15-24 year-olds without a job among those who work or are looking for work (students not seeking a job are not counted).
- Employment in agricultureThe share of workers whose job is farming, livestock, fishing or forestry.
- Employment in industryThe share of workers employed in factories, mines, construction sites and energy production.
- Employment in servicesThe share of workers employed in services: retail, health, education, banking, transport, restaurants and so on.
- Labor force participation rate (ages 15 and over)The share of people aged 15 and over who work or are looking for a job.
- Employment rate (ages 15 and over)The share of people aged 15 and over who have a job.